I chose to keep the wall. I have absolutely no desire to look at kitchen mess while I eat.

Hey Lomo, my aisles are 48” around the island and over 5’ between island and table. You think I need more space?

I think a 14" beam on a 9' ceiling would be less intrusive than the post. Of course, I say that as someone who has a 10" beam dropping down from my 92" ceiling. Since the beam lines up closely with the outer island edge, it makes a logical boundary for the main kitchen area.

Remember that 48" cabinet-to-cabinet is 45" from counter edge-to-counter edge. Less at the fridge, unless you have a fully-integrated fridge. Your drawing shows 42" between fridge and island (40.5" after the counter overhang). Even with a French door fridge that will be uncomfortably tight.

Thanks mcarroll16. That is super helpful. My drawing isn’t completely to scale. I didn’t want to share direct work product from a designer. My cabinet to fridge is 48 on her design. Did you trim your beam or paint it flat like the ceiling?

Painted it flat like the ceiling. Our designer recommended wrapping it with walnut or fir veneer but with 92" ceilings, that just felt way too dark. With 9' ceilings, a wood-wrapped beam could be a fantastic design element.

One thing to think really carefully about is lighting. Do you want pendants over the island? If so, what scale, and will their drop from behind the beam look good. With our low ceilings, pendants dropping below the beam look stubby and terrible. We didn't have a choice--we were actually removing a post to make the remodel work, and a post would have been really intrusive in our new layout. But you have a much larger kitchen. If eye-catching island pendants are part of your vision, think carefully about whether post or beam will work best with your lighting design.

Thanks lomo. I’ll have at least 42 at any given point. Good info though

Hey Lomo, my aisles are 48” around the island and over 5’ between island and table. You think I need more space?

No they're not because aisles are measured from what sticks out the most to what sticks out. So when you add your 1.5" overhang to your island countertop and then the handle on the stove, you actually have a lot less room than the 48" you think you have.

Why do you need a 48" island?

Cpartist I don’t “need” 48” island. It’s just my first draft from the designer. I asked for a large island. My shared image is not exactly to scale I guess. My drawings say 48 around island even with 1.5 overhang on each I still have 45” aisle, Right? My designer said minimum 42 so I wont feel crowded. Do you all think more than 45”between counters? What are thoughts on column or dropped beam?

You have more like 32” between the fridge and island. And 39” between the range and island. The island is too big.

That beam from the outside wall to a post at the edge of the living room is going to be much larger than 14“, unless you are paying the upgrade to steel. Which will not be cheap. You would be better off monetarily with two posts on the smaller island, and multiple shallower beams.

I’d do the beam; it’s separate the kitchen and dining space nicely IF it doesn’t bisect the refrigerator cabinet. The refrigerator would be better on the stove wall anyway, with a prep sink on the island.

IMO you need an actual independant KD and IMO this is not a design only a plan for appliances. If you post a to scale floor plan here on graph paper showing all windows doorways where those doorways lead every measurement clearly marked you will get a ton of free advice take wht is given and think about all the suggestions you get . Post the plan here in this post in jpeg and get some real good design advice. If you do not post to scale you get nothing. Please DO NOT start another post on this subject .

We are paying for steel, the steel beam will protrude 14” and be perpendicular to the removed wall. We are going to attempt (have to open the space to see) to sink some of it but a 14” beam will still protrude some. My living room is open to the space but is also framed with a beam. So the two beams are parallel, unequal and create a weird hallway effect, thus the option for a column.

I was thinking a post in the side of the island and a clear open ceiling would be better than a 22 foot long, 14 inch beam bisecting the space. I think I’m hearing that you all think a beam wouldn’t be that obtrusive?

(I know I didn’t post the ‘to scale’ design from my KD, it just didn’t seem right to do that to me. I am confident in the aisle allowances)

@mcarroll16 updated the image for ya ;)

Ah. I did not understand your original post correctly. I thought your beam was running the length of the island, where you removed the wall. I see now what you mean about a hallway effect. It's still hard to judge without a fuller drawing--one with the entire living room in the picture. Is that space between beams a natural walkway already? What is a likely living room furniture arrangement, in relation to the blue beam? What happens at the "east" end of each beam--do they terminate in a wall that frames another space?

Between the beams—ends in a window not a door or anything. A 14” dropped beam would also extend down between two windows on the end wall by the dining table. Making a weird situation for curtains/window treatments. My porch door is at the back of the living so my furniture sits farther into the room